Who Is In Your Sense of Us?

 

Rainy Morning in Italy

Photo credit: Blake Lasater

I read an editorial in the Christian Science Monitor which discussed this question: Who is in your sense of "us"? While politics has many lines drawn around ideology, gender, race, and such things, democracy itself is really about finding where the "us" is in all these beliefs. Most of us realize the harmfulness of groups who think they, and only they, are right. The rift brought about from a belief that certain things, such as abortion, should not be allowed is something which bears examination and compromise. To quote an article by Ryan Strickler, "A key -- the key -- to the deliberative democratic ideal is mutual respect. Not any political discussion will do; discussion and debate must be marked by open-mindedness, recognition of the legitimacy of moral differences, and a goal of achieving consensus." In conclusion, the editorial by Mark Sappenfield states: "In short, effective democratic politics must be perpetually reforging a new 'us'." Strong opinions close my mind to anything else, and so I pray to see with God’s eyes rather than my prejudiced mortal beliefs. Namaste …

“Many theories relative to God and man neither make man harmonious nor God lovable. The beliefs we commonly entertain about happiness and life afford no scatheless and permanent evidence of either. Security for the claims of harmonious and eternal being is found only in divine Science.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 232:3-8

“Forgiveness-to-destroy has many forms, being a weapon of the world of form. Not all of them are obvious, and some are carefully concealed beneath what seems like charity. Yet all the forms that it may seem to take have but this single goal; their purpose is to separate and make what God created equal, different. The difference is clear in several forms where the designed comparison cannot be missed, nor is it really meant to be.

In this group, first, there are the forms in which a ‘better’ person deigns to stoop to save a ‘baser’ one from what he truly is. Forgiveness here rests on an attitude of gracious lordliness so far from love that arrogance could never be dislodged. Who can forgive and yet despise? And who can tell another he is steeped in sin, and yet perceive him as the Son of God? Who makes a slave to teach what freedom is? There is no union here, but only grief. This is not really mercy. This is death.” A Course in Miracles - S-2.II.1:1–2:8)

Picking Up The Light

Photo credit: Blake Lasater

“ Living Awake - by Julie Fehrenbacher

It begins with an ache, a deep-belly

breath, a cup of hot tea on the sun-soaked deck.

It begins with a prayer said aloud

to the empty kitchen, space enough to hear

the want beneath the want beneath the want.

It begins with a thank you

for what is, a remembering that all

of it is temporary, none of it guaranteed, every

last bit of it precious.

It begins with slowing to the pace of silence,

then getting closer, closer

than you have ever gotten before. Then even a little bit closer. To breath, river, heartache, 

sunlight. Because, as Yeats said:

‘The world is full of magic things

waiting for our senses to grow sharper.’

It begins, always, with a moment fully allowed.

It begins over and over and over again, new, every day—

with the courage to persist, to do it differently, to walk

the way only you can walk. The courage

to stand all the way up for what holds and heals, to fiercely declare that enough is enough—no more excuses, no more holding in or back, no more pretending

to be small, damn it. Because you are not small. You have never, ever been small.

And God, how this sleeping world needs your bigness.

It begins with picking up the light

and dancing with it all night long, vowing 

to never put it down. And then scattering it 

like seed to every hurting heart.

It begins with a thank you for what is, a remembering 

that all of it is temporary, none of it guaranteed—

every last bit of it precious.”

~ ©Julia Fehrenbacher : Painted Path 

www.juliafehrenbacher.com

Equality

Gender equality has always been difficult to achieve. We have reasons, excuses, for why it's impossible. When Legislators refused women the same rights which men have, they insisted it was to protect women. The inalienable rights spoken of in the Constitution of the United States have been interpreted time and again, and usually they are deemed as applying to the male sex; for a long while, only to white males, then gradually evolving to include all races. I watched a movie based on Ruth Bader Ginsberg's work to achieve women's equality in a man's world. It's called "On the Basis of Sex". Remembering how life was when I graduated from high school in 1970 is like remembering a dream. The cages we were crammed into were meant to keep the male animal in control, and it worked pretty well -- at least on the surface. But seeds had been planted; seeds of freedom which we are still nurturing. One of Jesus' main men informed us there are no bond nor free, no gentile nor jew, no male or female -- yet to this day we can't seem to figure that out! I take that back: many of us know these things, and that's why it's up to us to continue affirming the truth of our being, and to do everything possible to help others understand, too. Thank you, RBG!! 

"...oppression neither went down in blood, nor did the breath of freedom come from the cannon's mouth. Love is the liberator." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 225

“The miracle itself is but the witness that you have the power of God in you.  That is the reason why the miracle gives equal blessing to all who share in it, and that is also why everyone shares in it. The power of God is limitless. And being always maximal, it offers everything to every call from anyone. There is no order of difficulty here. A call for help is given help.” 

A Course in Miracles T-14.X.6:10-15

Disappearing Differences

Photo credit: Blake Lasater

Acknowledging that everything and everyone we look upon is the face of divine Love takes our perception to another level. With this sight, we do not need to see race or nationalities nor gender, there are no political parties for which to wave flags, and no enemies to fight against, nor allies to side with. I see beautiful things happening in our world. Long-held beliefs are being released in favor of an open-hearted acceptance of everyone as they are, not as we want them to be. Change can seem difficult, but our new perceptions of Life are a conscious choice by which we break free of habits and old thought patterns which have held us in bondage for far too long. Let’s celebrate our new-found sight today!

“Right motives give pinions to thought, and strength and freedom to speech and action. Love is priestess at the altar of Truth. Wait patiently for divine Love to move upon the waters of mortal mind, and form the perfect concept.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 454: 20-23

“Now there are no distinctions. Differences have disappeared and Love looks on Itself. What further sight is needed? What remains that vision could accomplish? We have seen the face of Christ, His sinlessness, His Love behind all forms, beyond all purposes. Holy are we because His Holiness has set us free indeed! And we accept His Holiness as ours; as it is. As God created us so will we be forever and forever, and we wish for nothing but His Will to be our own. Illusions of another will are lost, for unity of purpose has been found.” 

A Course in Miracles M-28.5:1-9

Hardwired For Goodness

Villa Adriana - in Italy

Photo credit: Blake Lasater

I read a review of the book, “Blueprint, the Evolutionary Origins of a Good Society”, written by Nicholas Christkis, a professor at Yale. His basic premise is that love, friendship, cooperation, and teaching have been hardwired into human beings, but we tend to deploy these qualities selectively, only toward those who are like ourselves. He says America is an unprecedented social experiment, testing whether we humans can share these behaviors more broadly. The following statement of his seems especially true: “The less segregated we are — not just racially, but by ideology, religion, income, and education — the stronger the democracy.” Many ideas are discussed in this book, but one which stood out to me is that if we are to have a diverse democracy, we need to overcome the urge to tribalism. He believes that political tides can push against our innate desire for love, friendship, and cooperation — “but only for a while.” I am thrilled to read this and other messages of hope! 

"It should be thoroughly understood that all men have one Mind, one God and Father, one Life, Truth, and Love. Mankind will become perfect in proportion as this fact becomes apparent, war will cease and the true brotherhood of man wlll be established." 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 467:9

“The injunction ‘Be of one mind’ is the statement for revelation-readiness. My request ‘Do this in remembrance of me’ is the appeal for cooperation from miracle workers. The two statements are not in the same order of reality. Only the latter involves an awareness of time, since to remember is to recall the past in the present. Time is under my direction, but timelessness belongs to God. In time we exist for and with each other. In timelessness we coexist with God.” 

A Course in Miracles T-2.V-A.17:1-7

The Unbearable Sadness/Joy of Life

Vernazza, Cinque Terre, Italia

Photo credit:  Blake Lasater

I visited with two old friends, one who moved back to town from an extended stay on the west coast. The other visit was with someone who is paralyzed with emotional distress. Both of these women have had recent moves: one from one place in Eureka to another, the other from far, far away. One is calm, one is not. One is happy, one is sad. One is excited, one is afraid. Once again, I ponder why they perceive their moves so differently. I've noticed that one has a strong spiritual base, grounded in reason and understanding. The other is going on blind faith. I, too, think it would be frightening to feel alone, no matter who is helping you and caring about your well-being. Her loneliness is deep and cherished. My joyous friend and I discussed changing the world by changing ourselves. We know we can’t beg God to do something, nor can we ask our neighbors to change their minds. This rabbit hole I'm looking into gets deeper and deeper as I explore it, and am I grateful for Love. 

"Happiness is an attribute of love. It cannot be apart from it. Nor can it be experienced where love is not. Love has no limits, being everywhere. And therefore joy is everywhere as well. Yet can the mind deny that this is so, believing there are gaps in love where sin can enter, bringing pain instead of joy. This strange belief would limit happiness by redefining love as limited, and introducing opposition in what has no limit and no opposite."

A Course in Miracles W-103.1:1-7

“As human thought changes from one stage to another of conscious pain and painlessness, sorrow and joy, — from fear to hope and from faith to understanding, — the visible manifestation will at last be man governed by Soul, not by material sense.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 125:12-16

No Need to Hide

Many people are “daunted by the enormity of the world’s grief”. I have a friend who hides in mindless television. She refuses to watch the news as she feels it’s too horrid, but she immerses herself in yucky CSI shows and such. Even though I don’t understand her way of thinking, it’s better than hiding in a bar and living with the consequences as some do. Another friend stays away from society and watches cooking shows 10 or 12 hours a day, topping it off with nightly movies. Both of these women are compassionate, loving people, yet they feel helpless when it comes to facing the injustice which is running rampant. There are far more people in the world who love than hate, but it’s easy to become bruised when you love, and easier to become more angry when you hate. That is why I loved the above statement when I read it on social media: “Live justly, love mercy, and walk humbly now. You are not expected to complete the work, but neither are you free to abandon it.” 

“You who feel threatened by this changing world, its twists of fortune and its bitter jests, its brief relationships and all the ‘gifts’ it merely lends to take away again; attend this lesson well. The world provides no safety. It is rooted in attack, and all its ‘gifts’ of seeming safety are illusory deceptions. It attacks, and then attacks again. No peace of mind is possible where danger threatens thus.” 

A Course in Miracles W-153.1:1-5

“The spiritual reality is the scientific fact in all things. The spiritual fact, repeated in the action of man and the whole universe, is harmonious and is the ideal of Truth. Spiritual facts are not inverted; the opposite discord, which bears no resemblance to spirituality, is not real. The only evidence of this inversion is obtained from suppositional error, which affords no proof of God, Spirit, or of the spiritual creation. Material sense defines all things materially, and has a finite sense of the infinite.” 

Mary Baker Eddy - Science & Health Page 207:27-4